Method of making towels



1958 A. TOULMIN, JR 2,859,150

7 METHOD OF MAKING TOWELS Filed Oct. 18, 1955 a m 2 7 2 2 3 3 3 2 m 3 22 5 n F 4 P A I INVENTOR HARRY A. TOULM/Mdr.

ATTORNEYS Commonwealth Engineering Company of Ohio, Dayton, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application October 18, 1955,Serial-No. 541,262

Claims; (Cl. 154-76) 7 V The present invention relates to. paper towels,and more particularly to the manufacture of reinforced paper towels.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide an improvedmethod of'making reinforced paper towels.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of makingpaper towels by partially passing flock through a paper'stn'pandsecuring the flock in position.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of makingpaper towels having 'tufts positioned perpendicular to both faces of astrip of paper.

It is an additional object 'of thisinven'tion to provide an improvedpaper towel.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a novel andsimplified apparatus for the making of tufted paper towels.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent uponreference to the accompanying description when taken in conjunction withthe following drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an apparatus for making papertowels in accordance with the teachings of -this invention; r r a Figure'2 is a-sectional view taken along the lines 2 2 of Figure- 1-;

Figure3' is a-sectional View taken along the lines 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figures 4 through 6 are partial vertical sectional views through thepaper strip passing through the apparatus of Figure 1, showing the papertowel during various stages of the process; and

Figure 7 is a plan view of the reinforced paper towels made by theprocess of this invention.

The process disclosed by this invention essentially comprises moving aperforated paper strip through a chamber and evenly distributing aquantity of resintreated flock upon the strip. The under surface of thestrip is subjected to a vacuum to partially draw the flock through theperforations in the paper strip. The strip then progresses beneathelectro-magnetic apparatus which establishes a magnetic field above thepaper strip. The action of the magnetic field straightens the portionsof the flock extending above the upper surface of the paper strip. Thepaper strip with the flock inserted therein and positioned substantiallyvertically to the strip is then passed through an oven to dry the resinand to secure the flock to the paper strip. The result is a reinforcedtufted paper towel. wherein the tufts extend away from the surfaces ofthe towel and do not lie flat against them.

To accomplish the method of this invention reference is made to Figure 1wherein a container 1 contains a quantity of resin-treated flockindicated at 2. The flock consists of very short lengths of fabricrefuse or vegetable or paper fibers. The fibers of flock are coatedUnited States Patent 0, 7

2,859,150 Patented Nov. 4, 1958 with a thin film of a soft flexibleresin bin'der to .enable the flock to be firmly secured in the paperstrip in a manner to be presently described. "Preferably a thermoplasticresin, such as glycerolphthalic anhydride, isused. 7 Also, a castor oilmodified alkyd such as comprises 3 parts by weight alkyd resin and 1part nitrocellulose provides a suitable soft fiexible'resin' binder.

The chamber 1 has a dispen sing opening '3 at the lower end thereof anda pair of cylinders 4 and 5 having longitudinally extending teeththereon enmeshed with each other are mounted in the opening 3. Theroller 4 has a shaft 6 extending outwardly of the chamberl, as shown inFigure 2. A pulley 7 is mounted upon the end 'of the shaft 6 and isdrivingly connected by a belt 8 to an electric motor 9.

The cylinders 4 and 5 rotate in the directions indicated by the arrows10 and 11. This dispenses the flock between the rollers, as shown at 12in Figures 1 and 2. The individual fibers of the flock are separated andare evenly distributed in a vertical plane, as shown in Figure 2. I

The container 1 is mounted on the upper wall 13. of a chamber 14. Thechamber 14 has end walls 15 and 16 each of which has openings 17 and 13respectively therein. The bottom wall of the chamber 14 is indicated at'19 and slopes downwardly. There is an opening 20 at the lowermostportion of the bottom wall 19 and a conduit 21 attached theretocommunicates with a vacuum pump22.

Within the chamber 14 there is mounted an electromagnetic apparatusindicated at 23 to establish a magnetic field adjacent the upper surfaceof the paper strip.

A paper strip, indicated at 24, and supported by a roller 25 is admittedthrough the opening 17 into the chamber 14. 7

Prior to' the admission of the paper strip into the main chamber 14 amultiitude of perforations are made over the entire surface of the paperstrip. These perforationsmay be made'by a mechanical device or by thedistribution of drops of acid over the paper to for-m openings therein.As indicated in Figure4; the openings "or perforationsto the paper stripare extremely small and extend across the entire width ofthe paper. Thesize of the openings is substantially equal to the diameter of thefibers constituting the flock.

The strip as it passes through the chamber 14 is supported by the bogeyrollers 26 and 27. As shown in Figure 2, the chamber 14 is only slightlywider than the width of the paper strip 24.

Adjacent the end wall 16 of the chamber 14 there is located an oven,indicated at 28; A passage 29 communicates between the opening 18 andthe oven 28. Electrical heating elements 39 and 31 are provided Withinthe oven 28 and the paper strip passes between the heating elements, asillustrated in Figure l, to enable both sides of the pap-er strip to beexposed to high temperatures.

In processing the paper strip in order to obtain tufted paper towels,the paper strip 24 is admitted to the opening 17 in the end wall 15 ofthe main chamber. As the paper strip passes beneath the flock container1, flock indicated at 12 is evenly distributed upon the upper surface ofthe paper strip.

A sectional view through the paper strip 24 as'it enters the mainchamber 14 will reveal the condition of the paper to be as illustratedin Figure 4.

As the paper progresses past the flock container 1 it is exposed to theaction of the vacuum pump 22 which creates a vacuum on the under surfaceof the strip. This vacuum draws ends of the flock fibers through thepaper. The relationship of the diameters of the perforations and Q ofibers prevents the complete passage of the fibers through theperforations. passes through the paper strip, with the end portions ofthe flock extending above both surfaces of the paper strip. The idlerroller 26 at this point is vibrated both longitudinally and transverselyto agitate the loose flock fibers upon the upper surface of the paperstrip. In this manner, virtually all of the flock fibers will be drawnthrough the perforations under the action of the vacuum pump 22.

At this stage of the process a section through the paper strip 24 willreveal the condition of the paper as illustrated in Figure 5. In-Figure5 the individual flock fibers, as indicated at 33, have their lowerportions 34 extending straight downwardly under the actionof the vacuumpumpZZ. The upper ends of the flock fibers, as indicated at 35, are flatupon the upper surface of the paper strip. This is also partially due tothe action of the vacuum pump 22. v

The paper strip 24 with the flock fibers partiallyinsertedtherethroughis then passed beneath the electro magnetic apparatus 23 andthe magnetic field created thereby. The action of the magnetic fieldupon the fibers causes the upper portions 35,0f the fibers tostraighten, as indicated in Figure 6. Consequently, after the stripemerges from beneath the electro-magnetic apparatus 23, the flock fibershave both end portions substantially perpendicular to the surfaces ofthe paper strip 24.

With the fibers straightened by the action of the electromagneticapparatus 23, the paper strip is then passed through the opening 18 intothe drying or baking oven 28. The heat of the heating elements 30 and 31dries the solvents from the resin and secures the flexible flock fiberswithin the perforations in the paper strip.

Upon emerging from the drying oven the process is completed. The resultis a reinforced tufted paper towel of which a plan view would be asillustrated in Figure 7. The resulting paper towel has greater strengthbecause of the reinforcing action of the flock and the resin. Inaddition, the drying properties of the towel are greatly increasedbecause of the presenceof the flock tufts over both surfaces of thepaper towel.

The towel fabricated by this process may be also used as disposablepaper material such as handkerchiefs, Wipers for industry and the like.t

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modificationin order to adapt it to difierent usages As a result the flock onlypartially (l and conditions, and, accordingly, it is. desired tocomprehend such modification within this invention as may fall withinthe scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: I V 1. In a method of making tufted paper towels,distributing flock over a perforated paper strip, subjecting individuallengths of flock to an air stream to insert] 7 the flock intheperforationsto extend above both faces holes with a resin, establishingair streams through the holes in the paper to propel the resin-coatedfabric fibers into'said holes whereby the resin will prevent ,thepassage" of the fibers completely through the holes and the ends of eachfiber will protrude above the surfaces of the. paper strip, andheatingthe resin to secure the fibers.

in the paper strip. a 3. In a method of making towels, the steps ofapplying. a vacuum to the underside of a perforated sheet,

and distributing a plurality of individual lengths of fibers above theperforated sheet to thrust single fibers in-said l perforations underthe action of the vacuum effected through the perforations.

4. In a method 'of making paper towels,

individual lengths of fibers above the perforated sheet,

establishing air streams through said perforations to 1 propel saidfibers into said perforations, and securing said fibers within saidperforations so that both endsof said fibers project above the surfacesof the sheet.

5. A paper towel comprising a perforated sheet of paper, a single fabricfiber in each of said perforations and extending above both faces ofsaid sheet, and a resinous coating on each fiber which when hardenedwill secure the fibers in said perforations.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS527,971 Grubb Oct. 23, 1894 1,810,328 Slater June 16, 1931 1,831,064Frederick Nov. 10, 1931 2,715,074

Hirschburger Aug. 9, 1955 the step of V perforating a sheet of paper,distributing a plurality of

1. IN A METHOD OF MAKING TUFTED PAPER TOWELS, DISTRIBUTING FLOCK OVER APERFORATED PAPER STRIP, SUBJECTING INDIVIDUAL LENGTH OF FLOCK TO AN AIRSTREAM TO INSERT THE FLOCK IN THE PERFORATIONS TO EXTEND ABOVE BOTHFACES OF THE PAPER, AND SECURING THE FLOCK IN THE STRIP.